The present invention relates to the fabrication of lipid microstructures and in particular to the selective formation of tubular microstructures. Selected surfactants such as lipids are known to self-organize into a variety of structures with dimensions on the micron and submicron scale.
Heretofore, methods for fabricating lipid microstructures have relied primarily on the presence of bulk water in or at least on the addition or presence of some amount of water to the solvent medium in which a suitable lipid is dissolved. The present invention achieves microstructure formation in the essential total absence of water. Such totally waterless about 10.degree. C below the melting point of the selected lipid over synthetic procedures are advantageous in applications where the presence of water is not acceptable and its removal from the solvent medium requires time consuming and costly removal procedures.
Under typical conditions lipids tend to form into a variety of geometrical forms with little control over dimension and shape. Heretofore synthetic control over the specific geometrical form and dimensions of such microstructures has been difficult except in cases involving lipid vesicles. The present invention achieves a method for the rational control of the dimensions of tubular microstructures. Such microstructures may be metallized and are particularly useful in the fabrication of small electrical circuits.